1 Samuel 1-3
Lexham English Bible
The Family of Elkanah
1 There was a certain man from Ramathaim Zophim, from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.[a] 2 He had two wives; the name of the first was Hannah, and the name of the second was Peninnah. Now Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. 3 Now this man used to go up from his town year by year[b] to worship and to sacrifice to Yahweh of hosts in Shiloh, where[c] the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests to Yahweh. 4 On[d] the day Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he would give a double portion,[e] because he loved Hannah, though Yahweh had closed her womb. 6 (Now her rival wife would provoke her severely in order to upset her because Yahweh had closed her womb.) 7 And so he used to do[f] year after year; whenever[g] she went up to the house of Yahweh, she[h] would provoke her so that she[i] would weep and would not eat. 8 So Elkanah her husband would say to her: “Hannah, why do you weep and why do you not eat? And why are you heartsick?[j] Am I not better to you than ten sons?” 9 Then Hannah got up after eating and drinking at Shiloh. (Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the temple[k] of Yahweh.) 10 She was deeply troubled,[l] so she prayed to Yahweh and wept bitterly. 11 She made a vow[m] and said: “O Yahweh of hosts, if you will look with compassion on the misery of your female servant, and will remember me, and not forget your female servant, and will give to your female servant a male child[n] then I will give him to Yahweh all the days of his life, and a razor will never pass over his head.”[o] 12 While[p] she continued to pray before Yahweh, Eli was observing her mouth. 13 Now Hannah had been speaking in her heart; her lips were moving, but her voice could not be heard, so Eli considered her to be drunk. 14 Then Eli said to her, “How long will you behave like someone who is drunk? Put away your wine!” 15 But Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord. I am a woman deeply distressed,[q] but I have not drunk wine or strong drink. Rather, I have poured out my soul before Yahweh. 16 Do not regard your female servant as worthless,[r] but because of the extent of my worries and my provocation I have spoken all of this.” 17 Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant your request that you have asked of him.” 18 And she said, “May your female slave find favor in your sight.” Then the woman went on her way and ate something, and her face did not look sad any longer.[s]
The Birth of Samuel
19 Then they rose early in the morning and worshiped before Yahweh and returned[t] to their house at Ramah. Then Elkanah had sexual relations with[u] Hannah his wife, and Yahweh remembered her. 20 In due time,[v] Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She called his name Samuel, for she said, “I requested him from Yahweh.”
21 So the man Elkanah went up with all his household to make the annual sacrifice[w] to Yahweh and to pay his vow. 22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “Once the boy is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear before Yahweh; and he will remain there forever.” 23 So her husband Elkanah said to her, “Do what seems right to you;[x] stay until you wean him. Only may Yahweh fulfill his word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him. 24 Then she brought him up with her when she had weaned him, along with three bulls, one ephah of flour, and a skin[y] of wine. She brought him to the house of Yahweh at Shiloh while the boy was still young. 25 They slaughtered the bull, and they brought the boy to Eli. 26 She said, “Excuse me, my lord. As you live,[z] my lord, I am the woman who stood with you in this place to pray to Yahweh. 27 I prayed for this boy, and Yahweh has given me my request that I asked from him. 28 I in turn have lent him to Yahweh. As long as he lives[aa] he is lent to Yahweh.” Then they worshiped Yahweh there.
2 Then Hannah prayed and said,
“My heart exults in Yahweh, my strength is exalted in Yahweh; I grin[ab] over my enemies, for I rejoice over your salvation.
2 There is no one holy like Yahweh, for there is no one besides you,
and there is no rock like our God.
3 Do not increase speaking very proud[ac] words!
Let no arrogance go forth from your mouth,
for Yahweh is a God of knowledge
whose deeds are not weighed.[ad]
4 The bows of mighty warriors are shattered,
but those who stumble gird themselves with strength.
5 Those who were full must hire themselves out for bread,
but those who are hungry will become fat.
As for the infertile, she will bear seven,
but she who has many sons withers away.
6 Yahweh kills and restores alive,
he brings down to Sheol[ae] and raises up.
7 Yahweh makes poor and makes rich;
he brings low and also exalts.
8 He raises up the poor from the dust.
From the ash heap he lifts up the needy,
to cause them to sit with noble people
and to cause them to inherit a seat of honor.
For the pillars of the earth belong to Yahweh
and he has set the inhabited world on them.
9 He will guard the feet of his faithful[af] ones,
but the wicked will be destroyed[ag] in the darkness,
because a man will not prevail by his might.
10 Yahweh will shatter[ah] his adversaries;[ai]
he will thunder against them in the heavens.
Yahweh will judge the ends of the earth.
He will give strength to his king
and will exalt the might of his anointed one.
11 Then Elkanah went to Ramah, to his house. Now the boy was serving Yahweh in the presence of[aj] Eli the priest.
The Family of Eli the Priest
12 Now the sons of Eli were worthless scoundrels;[ak] they did not know[al] Yahweh. 13 And the custom of the priests with the people was this: When any man brought a sacrifice,[am] as the meat was boiling, the servant of the priest would take a three-pronged meat fork in his hand 14 and would thrust it into the pan or into the kettle or into the cauldron or into the cooking pot. All that the meat fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is what they used to do to all of the Israelites who came there at Shiloh. 15 Also, before they offered up[an] the fat as a burnt offering, the servant of the priest would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give the priest meat for roasting, for he will not take boiled meat from you, but only raw.”[ao] 16 And if the man said to him, “Let them burn the fat completely first,[ap] then take for yourself as you[aq] desire,” then he would say to him, “No![ar] Give it now! If not, I will take it by force!” 17 So the sin of the young men was very great in the sight of Yahweh, because the men treated the offering of Yahweh with contempt.
Samuel’s Life in the Tabernacle
18 Now Samuel was serving before Yahweh, as a boy wearing a linen ephod. 19 His mother used to make for him a small robe and take it to him year by year[as] whenever she came up with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice.[at] 20 And Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and he said, “May Yahweh give you an offspring from this woman in place of the petitioned one that she requested from Yahweh.” Then they went to their home. 21 Yahweh took note of Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters, while the young man Samuel grew up with Yahweh.
Eli Rebukes His Evil Sons
22 Now Eli was very old, and he heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel and that they were having sexual relations with the women who were serving at the entrance of the tent of assembly.[au] 23 And he asked them, “Why are you doing all these things that I am hearing, namely, your evil dealings with all these people? 24 No, my sons, the report is not good that I am hearing the people of Yahweh spreading. 25 If a man sins against a man, then God can intercede for him. But if a man sins against Yahweh, who can intercede for him?” But they did not obey[av] their father, because Yahweh wanted to kill them. 26 But the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor[aw] with Yahweh and with the people.
Yahweh Rebukes Eli
27 Now a man of God came to Eli and said to him: “Thus says Yahweh: ‘Did I not clearly reveal myself to the house of your ancestor[ax] when they were in Egypt under the house of Pharaoh? 28 And I chose him from all the tribes of Israel to be a priest to me, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, and to bear an ephod before me. I gave to the house of your ancestor[ay] all the offerings made by fire by the Israelites.[az] 29 Why do you despise my sacrifice and my offering which I commanded for my dwelling place, while you honored your sons more than me by making yourselves fat from the best of all the offerings of my people Israel? 30 Therefore,’ declares[ba] Yahweh the God of Israel, ‘though I solemnly said that your house and the house of your ancestor[bb] would walk before me forever, but now,’ declares[bc] Yahweh, ‘far be it from me, for those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me, I will treat with contempt! 31 Look, days are coming when I will cut off your strength[bd] and the strength[be] of the house of your ancestor[bf] so that no one in your house will live to old age.[bg] 32 You will look at the distress of my dwelling place, despite all the good caused for Israel, but there will never be an old man in your household forever![bh] 33 The only one I will not cut off from my altar is you.[bi] Rather, to cause your eyes to fail and to cause your soul to grieve, all the members of your household[bj] will die as men.[bk] 34 This is the sign for you that will come regarding your two sons Hophni and Phinehas: they will both die on the same day! 35 But I will raise up for myself a reliable[bl] priest; he will do just according to what is in my heart and in my soul. I will build for him a lasting[bm] house and he will walk continually before my anointed one forever.[bn] 36 All the remainder of your household will come to bow down before[bo] him for a bit of silver or a loaf of bread and will say, “Please assign me to one of the priestly offices[bp] so that I can eat a morsel of bread.”’”
Samuel’s First Encounter with Yahweh
3 Now the boy Samuel was serving Yahweh in the presence[bq] of Eli. The word of Yahweh was rare in those days; visions were not widespread. 2 And then[br] one day when Eli was lying in his place (now his eyes had begun to grow weak so that he was not able to see) 3 and the lamp of God had not yet gone out, Samuel was lying in the temple[bs] of Yahweh where the ark of God was. 4 Then Yahweh called out to Samuel and he said, “Here I am!” 5 And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, because you called me.” But he said, “I did not call you. Go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down. 6 And Yahweh called Samuel again, so Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, because you called me.” And he said, “I did not call you, my son. Go back and lie down.” 7 Now Samuel did not yet know Yahweh, and the word of Yahweh had not yet been revealed to him. 8 Again Yahweh called Samuel a third time, so he got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, because you called me.” Then Eli realized that Yahweh was calling the boy. 9 So Eli said to Samuel “Go lie down. If he calls[bt] to you, then you must say, ‘Speak Yahweh, because your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 Then Yahweh came and stood there and called out as before,[bu] “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, because your servant is listening.” 11 So Yahweh said to Samuel, “Look, I am doing something in Israel which will cause[bv] the two ears of everyone who hears it to tingle. 12 On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken against his household, from beginning to end.[bw] 13 I will make him know that I am about to judge his household forever because of the iniquity that he knew, for his sons were bringing curses on themselves,[bx] but he did not rebuke them. 14 Therefore I swore to the house of Eli that the iniquity of the house of Eli would not be atoned for[by] by sacrifice or by offering forever.”
15 So Samuel lay down until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of Yahweh, but Samuel was afraid of telling the vision to Eli. 16 Then Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son!” And he said, “Here I am.” 17 And he said, “What is the message[bz] that he spoke to you? Please do not conceal it from me. May God punish you severely[ca] if you conceal anything from me of all the words that he told you.” 18 So Samuel told him all the words and did not conceal anything from him. And he[cb] said, “He is Yahweh, he will do what is[cc] good in his sight.”[cd]
19 And Samuel grew up, and Yahweh was with him. He did not allow any of his prophecies to go unfulfilled.[ce] 20 All Israel from Dan to Beersheba realized that Samuel was faithful[cf] as a prophet to Yahweh. 21 And Yahweh appeared again in Shiloh, for Yahweh revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh through the word of Yahweh.
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 1:1 Or “Ephrathite”
- 1 Samuel 1:3 Literally “from days to days”
- 1 Samuel 1:3 Literally “and there”
- 1 Samuel 1:4 Literally “And it happened on”
- 1 Samuel 1:5 Literally “a portion of two faces”
- 1 Samuel 1:7 So Hebrew; because of the abrupt change of subject some revocalize the verb to read “it used to be”
- 1 Samuel 1:7 Or “as often as”; literally “from enough”
- 1 Samuel 1:7 That is, Penninah
- 1 Samuel 1:7 That is, Hannah
- 1 Samuel 1:8 Literally “why is your heart evil”
- 1 Samuel 1:9 This is not the temple of Solomon (ca. 966 bc), but rather the tabernacle that first resided at Shiloh after the conquest of Joshua.
- 1 Samuel 1:10 Literally “bitter of soul”
- 1 Samuel 1:11 Literally “vowed a vow”
- 1 Samuel 1:11 Literally “an offspring of men”
- 1 Samuel 1:11 “A razor will never pass over his head” indicates that Hannah promised to dedicate her son to Yahweh as a Nazirite, according to the terms of Num 6:1–21
- 1 Samuel 1:12 Literally “And it happened that when”
- 1 Samuel 1:15 Literally “difficult of spirit”
- 1 Samuel 1:16 Literally “as a daughter of Belial/daughter of worthlessness”
- 1 Samuel 1:18 Literally “her faces were not for her any longer”
- 1 Samuel 1:19 Literally “and they returned and went”
- 1 Samuel 1:19 Literally “knew”
- 1 Samuel 1:20 Literally “At the turning of the days”
- 1 Samuel 1:21 Literally “to sacrifice the sacrifice of days”
- 1 Samuel 1:23 Literally “do what is good in your eyes”
- 1 Samuel 1:24 Or “a clay jar”
- 1 Samuel 1:26 Literally “your soul lives”
- 1 Samuel 1:28 Literally “All the days that he lives”
- 1 Samuel 2:1 Literally “my mouth is broad”
- 1 Samuel 2:3 Literally “proud, proud”
- 1 Samuel 2:3 So Masoretic Hebrew text (Kethib); the reading tradition (Qere) reads “and by him deeds are weighed”
- 1 Samuel 2:6 “Sheol” is a Hebrew term for the place where the dead reside, i.e., the underworld.
- 1 Samuel 2:9 Or “loyal”
- 1 Samuel 2:9 Or “will be silenced”
- 1 Samuel 2:10 Singular verb supported by Syriac, Targums, Septuagint, and Old Latin versions.
- 1 Samuel 2:10 The Masoretic Hebrew text (Kethib) has the singular “adversary”; the reading tradition (Qere) reads the plural
- 1 Samuel 2:11 Literally “in the face of”
- 1 Samuel 2:12 Literally “sons of Belial”
- 1 Samuel 2:12 Or “acknowledge”
- 1 Samuel 2:13 Literally “was sacrificing a sacrifice” and so throughout 1 & 2 Samuel
- 1 Samuel 2:15 Literally “caused to go up in smoke”
- 1 Samuel 2:15 Literally “with the life”
- 1 Samuel 2:16 Literally “as the day”
- 1 Samuel 2:16 Literally “as your soul”
- 1 Samuel 2:16 According to the reading tradition (Qere)
- 1 Samuel 2:19 Literally “from days to days”
- 1 Samuel 2:19 Literally “the sacrifice of days”
- 1 Samuel 2:22 Or “meeting”
- 1 Samuel 2:25 Literally “listen to the voice of”
- 1 Samuel 2:26 Literally “was going and being great and good”
- 1 Samuel 2:27 Or “father,” meaning Aaron
- 1 Samuel 2:28 Or “father”
- 1 Samuel 2:28 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- 1 Samuel 2:30 Literally “the declaration of”
- 1 Samuel 2:30 Or “father”
- 1 Samuel 2:30 Literally “the declaration of”
- 1 Samuel 2:31 Literally “arm,” figurative of “strength” in the context of “descendants”
- 1 Samuel 2:31 Literally “arm,” figurative of “strength” in the context of “descendants”
- 1 Samuel 2:31 Or “father”
- 1 Samuel 2:31 Literally “from being old in your house”
- 1 Samuel 2:32 Literally “all the days”
- 1 Samuel 2:33 Understanding the beth preposition as a beth essentiae
- 1 Samuel 2:33 Literally “all the abundance of your house”
- 1 Samuel 2:33 Or “in their prime”; some Greek and other manuscripts supply “sword” (“will die by the sword of men”)
- 1 Samuel 2:35 Or “faithful”
- 1 Samuel 2:35 Hebrew “faithful” or “reliable”
- 1 Samuel 2:35 Literally “all the days”
- 1 Samuel 2:36 Literally “to”
- 1 Samuel 2:36 Literally “priesthoods”
- 1 Samuel 3:1 Literally “in the face of”
- 1 Samuel 3:2 Literally “And it happened”
- 1 Samuel 3:3 Although the Hebrew text reads “temple,” this is a reference to the tabernacle (see 1:3, 9)
- 1 Samuel 3:9 Literally “And it will happen that if he calls”
- 1 Samuel 3:10 Literally “as an occurrence, in an occurrence”
- 1 Samuel 3:11 Literally “about which”
- 1 Samuel 3:12 Literally “begin and finish”
- 1 Samuel 3:13 LXX reads “were cursing God”
- 1 Samuel 3:14 Or “be expiated”
- 1 Samuel 3:17 Or “word”
- 1 Samuel 3:17 Literally “do to you and so may he add”
- 1 Samuel 3:18 That is, Eli
- 1 Samuel 3:18 Literally “the”
- 1 Samuel 3:18 Literally “eyes”
- 1 Samuel 3:19 Literally “He let none from all of his words fall to the ground.”
- 1 Samuel 3:20 Or “reliable” or “trustworthy”
1 Samuel 1-3
King James Version
1 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaimzophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite:
2 And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
3 And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there.
4 And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions:
5 But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the Lord had shut up her womb.
6 And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the Lord had shut up her womb.
7 And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.
8 Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?
9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the Lord.
10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore.
11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.
12 And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli marked her mouth.
13 Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.
14 And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee.
15 And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord.
16 Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.
17 Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.
18 And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.
19 And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the Lord, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the Lord remembered her.
20 Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the Lord.
21 And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer unto the Lord the yearly sacrifice, and his vow.
22 But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord, and there abide for ever.
23 And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good; tarry until thou have weaned him; only the Lord establish his word. So the woman abode, and gave her son suck until she weaned him.
24 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the Lord in Shiloh: and the child was young.
25 And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli.
26 And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the Lord.
27 For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him:
28 Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord. And he worshipped the Lord there.
2 And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.
2 There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.
3 Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.
4 The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.
5 They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble.
6 The Lord killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.
7 The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.
8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and he hath set the world upon them.
9 He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.
10 The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.
11 And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto the Lord before Eli the priest.
12 Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the Lord.
13 And the priest's custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand;
14 And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither.
15 Also before they burnt the fat, the priest's servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw.
16 And if any man said unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would answer him, Nay; but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force.
17 Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord: for men abhorred the offering of the Lord.
18 But Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.
19 Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.
20 And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The Lord give thee seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to the Lord. And they went unto their own home.
21 And the Lord visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the Lord.
22 Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
23 And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people.
24 Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the Lord's people to transgress.
25 If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the Lord would slay them.
26 And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the Lord, and also with men.
27 And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house?
28 And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel?
29 Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?
30 Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the Lord saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.
31 Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father's house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house.
32 And thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever.
33 And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age.
34 And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them.
35 And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever.
36 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thine house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests' offices, that I may eat a piece of bread.
3 And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision.
2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;
3 And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;
4 That the Lord called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.
5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.
6 And the Lord called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.
7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him.
8 And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child.
9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.
11 And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.
12 In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end.
13 For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.
14 And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever.
15 And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision.
16 Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I.
17 And he said, What is the thing that the Lord hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee.
18 And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the Lord: let him do what seemeth him good.
19 And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.
20 And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord.
21 And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh: for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord.
2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software